Populations of some uncommon and small-bodied birds in Britain, such as meadow pipits and lapwings, suffer disproportionately when near a road, a study has found. However, common species such as robins, blackbirds and bullfinches benefit from increased asphalt because they don't mind the raucous. Conservationists warn that Britain could see a less diverse range of avians as rarer species struggle to cope with Britain's sprawling road network. Using data from the UK Breeding Bird Survey, Cooke and colleagues assessed the abundance of 75 bird species in relation to roads across Britain. The opposite trend was seen in common species.

Source: Daily Mail July 07, 2020 15:02 UTC